Line casting machine



H. R. FREUND ET AL ,050,222

' I LINE CASTING MACHINE Fil ed Nov. 16, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,050,222 LINE CASTING MACHINE Herman R.

Freund, Brooklyn, and Ransom H.

Turner, Little Neck, N. Y., assignors to Inter-' type Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 16, 1935, Serial No. 50,222 In Germany August 24, 1935 12 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in line casting machines and more especially to those of the general class disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 436,532 granted September 16,

" 1930, wherein matrices each having a character in an edge thereof are assembled into lines which are clamped endwise between vise jaws and presented to a mold so that the character bearing portions of the matrices close the casting cavity along the front thereof, molten type metal being injected into the mold cavity from the rear to cast type bars or slugs against the matrices and thus form printing characters on the front edges of the slugs.

In establishments using machines of this class, there is a demand for slugs having a blank or typeless portion or portions of low height thereon, as for example slugs having printing characters for a portion only of the length thereof, the remaining portion or portions of the slugs being blank, or slugs which are blank or typeless and of low height throughout their length, to enable the slugs to accommodate printing plates or to prevent the lodging of ink on the typeless or blank portion or portions of the slug, such low cast typeless or blank portions being commonly known as low-quad surfaces.

It has been previously proposed to cast slugs of low height throughout their entire length by 30 providing a rib on one of the vise jaws which, during the casting of a slug, was intended to project into the front of the mold slot or cavity, but such an arrangement is not practical since the rib must have the same thickness as the height of the mold slot in order to provide a metal tight joint between the mold and rib and it has been found difiicult if not impossible to insure proper entrance of the rib on the vise jaw into the mold slot when the mold advances prepara- 40 tory to a casting operation, exact vertical alinement of the vise jaw rib with the mold slot having been found from experience tobe impossible.

Moreover, because of the lack of clearance between the vise jaw rib and the walls of the mold 45 slot, free entry of the rib into the mold slot cannot be depended on, especially in line casting machines in which the vise jaws are mounted to move freely in their guides so that either or both of them may be moved toward the other for quadding or centering matrix lines of less length than the mold slot.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide novel and improved means for casting a low height or typeless surface or surfaces on slugs which avoids the difliculties attending the previous proposal hereinbefore referred to, the mold, according to the present invention having its front edge, at least for a depth equal to the extent of projection of the rib from the casting face or faces of the vise jaw or jaws, 5 mounted movably so that it can be opened or retracted to admit such rib or ribs prior and subsequent to the casting of the slug and closed or clamped against such rib or ribs to form a metal tight closure of the front of the mold dur- 10 ing the casting of the slug.

The present invention, when applied to line casting machines adapted for quadding and centering matrix lines, will automatically fill out or quad out such blank space or spaces as may be 15 left beyond the printing characters at either or both ends of the slug, and will close the front of the mold beyond the end or ends of the matrix lines, without requiring the use of blank matrices, and the blank portion or portions beyond the end 20 or ends of the printing characters will be cast at the desired low quad height.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out more particularly in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a portion of a line casting machine embodying the present invention:

Figure 2 is a vertical section, taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1, showing the mold in its normal retracted relation with the cooperative vise jaw;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the mold in its advanced casting relation with the matrix line and the cooperative vise jaw;

Figure 5 is a vertical section of one end of the mold shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 7 is an elevation of the first elevator or matrix line transporter and the vise jaws as viewed from the rear or from the left in Fig. 6;

Figure 8 is an elevation of the mold as viewed from the front or from the right in Fig. 6;

Figure 9 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale of the mold, first elevator and one of the vise jaws, showing these parts inthe relative positions they occupy immediately prior. to the casting operation; and

Figure 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 but showing the parts in the relative positions they occupy during the casting operation.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several figures.

The preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the present instance as applied to a line casting machine of the general class hereinbefore referred to but it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the precise constructions shown since equivalent constructions are contemplated and such will be included within the scope of the claims. I

In the accompanying drawings, I represents the vise frame, 2 represents the head of the first elevator or matrix line transporter which lowers the matrix line into position in front of the mold prior to the casting operation and removes the matrix line from such position after the cast has taken place, 3 and 4 represent the right-hand and left-hand vise jaws which are guided by the vise frame I to slide toward and from one another and to clamp the matrix line between them, 5 represents the slug casting mold mounted on a mold wheel or carrier 6 which is movable to advance the mold into casting position against the matrix line and vise jaws preparatory to a casting operation and to retract the mold after such operation, and 1 represents the metal pot having a mouthpiece 8 thereon which is movable into metal tight engagement with the rear face of the mold prior to the injection of metal from the metal pot into the mold and is retracted from the mold after the casting operation has been completed, these parts being generally similar in construction and mode of operation to those commonly used in line casting machines of the class referred to. The right-hand and left-hand vise jaws 3 and 4 respectively, in the present instance, are operative to quad and center matrix lines, for which purpose they may be provided with any suitable or well-known form of quadding and centering mechanism such for example as disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent Nos. 1,964,695 granted June 26, 1934, and 1,970,527 granted August 14, 1934, to which reference is made for a detailed disclosure of such quadding and centering means, it being deemed suflicient for the purposes of the present invention to set forth that the right-hand and left-hand jaws are provided with a jaw closing lever 9 which, through the medium of a coupling device It), may be employed to cause either or both of the vise jaws to move horizontally toward and from one another to center or quad the line at either end and clamp it endwise prior to the casting operation and to retract to permit removal of the matrix line from casting position after the cast has been made.

According to the present invention as shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the mold 5 comprises a mold body I5 which may be fixed as usual to the mold wheel or support 6, and a mold cap I 6, which is spaced from the mold body by end liners I! which determine the point size of the slugs to be cast in the mold slot or cavity l8 defined by the opposed longitudinal faces of the mold cap and body and opposed ends of the liners or end walls, and is movable toward and from the mold body l5. For example, the mold cap is secured to the mold body by the usual screws 19 at the ends thereof, but these screws are not drawn up tightly to clamp the mold cap solidly against the mold body as heretofore, but such screws are left in a loose condition so that the mold cap may lift out of contact with the liners l1, and springs 20 are interposed between the mold cap and liners I! and serve to yieldingly lift the mold cap from the liners, and turning of the screws I 9 in a direction to loosen them is prevented by the upward pressure of the ends of the mold cap against the under sides of the heads of the respective screws, under the expanding influence of the springs 20, which may be contained in bores or recesses 2| formed in the mold cap. By this arrangement, the mold cap will be normally and yieldingly retained, by the upward pressure of the springs 20 thereon, in a raised position above the mold body, to an extent limited by the screws l9, thus giving the mold slot or slug casting cavity IS a greater height or vertical dimension, prior and subsequent to the casting operation, than existed when the mold cap was tightly or immovably clamped in fixed relation to the mold body, as heretofore.

Also, according to the embodiments of the present invention as herein shown, the vise jaws are provided with longitudinal ribs 25 which preferably extend throughout the length of the respective jaws and project from the usual faces 26 thereof. These ribs are located on the vise jaws at the level of the mold slot l8, and they are of a vertical thickness or height equal to that of the mold liners l l or of the vertical dimension of the mold slot I8 when the mold cap is lowered into engagement with the liners. The usual casting faces 26 of the vise jaws are engageable with the faces of the mold body and cap, and the ribs 25 project from these faces of the jaws toward the mold a distance equal to the reduced height to which the typeless or blank portions of the slug are to be cast. While the mold cap I6 is held in its raised position by the springs 20, the vertical height of the mold cavity l8 will be greater than that of the ribs 25, as shown in Figure 3, and when the mold is advanced toward the vise jaws preparatory to a casting operation, the ribs on the vise jaws will freely enter the front of the mold cavity until the usual casting faces of the vise jaws engage the face of the mold. After the mold has advanced and immediately prior to the casting operation, the mold cap I6 is lowered into engagement with the liners l7, and such descent of the mold cap will bring its forward edge into metal tight engagement with the ribs 25 which then project into the mold cavity, thus providing a metal tight closing of the front of the mold by the ribs on the vise jaws, and when molten type metal is injected into the mold cavity l8, the portion or portions beyond the end or ends of the matrix line will be cast at a low quad height, due

to the extension of the ribs 25 into the mold cavity. The lowering of the mold cap into engagement with the ribs 25 not only forms metal tight closures therewith but also forms metal tight closures between the mold cap and the liners I! at the ends of the mold, and the mold liners which are of the same height as the ribs 25, properly gauge the height of the mold slot according to the point size of the slugs to be cast. The liners I! at the ends of the mold are recessed at the front of the mold to a depth corresponding to that of the ribs 25 on the vise jaws so that these ribs will form metal tight closures with the mold liners at the ends of the mold cavity. The type bearing portion will be cast at the usual height on the front edge of the slug by the character bearing matrices M which will be locked up in front of the mold between the vise jaws, as usual.

Different means may be provided for closing the mold cap against the ribs 25 on the vice jaws after such ribs have entered the front :of the .mold preparatory to the casting operation, and for causing the mold cap to open or recede from these ribs after the casting operation has been performed. In the present instance, in which the metal pot I is pivoted to swing forwardly against the rear face of the mold immediately prior to the casting operation and to recede therefrom after the castingoperation, a lever is provided for this purpose, this lever being pivoted at 3| on a portion 32 of the stationary frame of the machine, the rear end of this lever having a roller 33 thereon which rides on the top of the metal pot. The forward end of the lever30 has a projection 34 thereon which engages .in a notch 35 formed in a plunger 36 which is guided to-slide vertically inthe frame 32 above the path of the mold or molds on the mold wheel or support 6, which is rotatable, as usual in machines of this class, to bring the mold into casting position and to then carry it into the slug ejecting position. The mold wheel or carrier 6 is provided, immediately above the mold cap IS, with a clamping plate 3'! which is guided to move vertically or in the direction of movement of the mold cap relatively to the mold body, by a screw 38 which is secured in the mold wheel and engages loosely in a slot 39 in the clamping plate 31, this screw holding the clamping plate against the face of the mold wheel although permitting movement thereof radially of the mold wheel, and the lower edge of the plate 31 is engaged in a-recess 31 formed in the top or outer side of the mold cap IS. The clamping plate 31 is so positioned on the mold wheel that when the latter rotates to bring the mold into casting position, the upper edge of the clamping plate will be in a position to be engaged by the lower end of the plunger 36. By this arrangement, while the metal pot I occupies its normal retracted position, the plunger 36 will be in its raised position, and the clamping plate 31 may then occupy its normal raised position under the influence of the springs 20 acting to lift the mold cap. The parts occupy this position until the mold has advanced into casting position against the vise jaws and matrix line, the raised position of the mold cap thus permitting free entry of the ribs 25 on the vise jaws into the front of the mold cavity. When the metal pot 1 swings forwardly, to bring its mouthpiece 8 into casting position against the rear face of the mold immediately prior to the injection of molten metal into the mold, the lever 36 is rocked about its pivot 3!, thereby lowering the plunger 36, the latter forcing the clamping plate 31 downwardly and thereby lowering the mold cap 16 into engagement with the ribs 25 on the vise jaws and the end liners H, as shown in Figure 4, and the metal pot injects the molten type metal into the mold while the mold cap is thus held in its lowered position. After the casting operation has been performed, the metal pot 1 recedes or swings rearwardly as usual, thereby allowing the plunger 36 to rise, and the springs 26 then lift the mold cap from the end liners, thus carrying the mold cap out of engagement with the ribs 25 on the vise jaws, and the subsequent recession of the mold from the vise jaws takes place freely or without interference from the ribs on the vise jaws.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 6 to 10 inclusive, the mold body 15 is fixed to the mold wheel or support 6 as in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, but the mold cap I6 is fixed to the mold body as for example by the solid clamping of the mold cap to the .mold body by the clamping :screws, and while the casting face .of the mold body is of the full depth as usual from front to rear, the casting face of the cap l6 is recessed or cut away as at 16', to reduce its depth at the front of the mold to an extent equal to or somewhat greater than that of the ribs 25 on'the vise jaws, andthe upper wall of the mold cavity is completed by a plate 40 which, in this embodiment of the invention, is carried by the rear jaw of the first elevator or line transporter 2 and, when the latter is lowered to present a matrix line in casting position in front of the mold, the lower edge of this plateoccupies the space formed by the recessed front edge of the mold cap. The plate 40 is attached to the rear jaw ofthe first elevator '2 in such a manner that it may move vertically thereon, it being provided for example with vertical slots 4| in which screws 42secured in the first elevator engage, and the plate 40 is normally and yieldingly held in raised position againsta stop 44 on the first elevator by a compressed spring 45 which may be interposed between the plate 45 and thefirst elevator as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. A member 46 is mounted to move vertically on the vise cap 16%, as by screws 41 :hich'are secured in the .vise cap and extend through vertical slots 48 in the member 46, and the member 46 has a portion 49 which projects forwardly therefrom and moves into a position above the plate 49 when the mold advances toward the vise jaws and matrix line preparatory to a casting operation, this portion 49 of the member 46 however being retracted rearwardly from a position above the plate 49 when the mold is in retracted position in order .to permit descent of the first elevator 2 to lower the matrix line into casting position in front of the mold prior to the casting operation and to lift the matrix line from in front of the mold after the casting operation has taken place; The member 46 underlies the plunger 36 which is constructed and operates inthe same manner as set forth in connection with Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, but the lower end of the plunger 38 is provided with a forwardly offset portion 36 which overlies the upper edge of the member 46 and will be in a position to force the member 46 downwardly when the'mold is advanced to its casting position. This extension 36 on the plunger however is located in rear ofthe path of vertical movement of the plate-'48 on the first elevator so that it will clear said plate during the descent and ascent of the first elevator.

The lower edge of the plate 46 forms the forward part of the upper wall of-the mold slot to an extent preferably greater than the extent to which the ribs v25 project toward the mold from the faces of the .vise jaws, it being understood that vise jaws having ribs of different width and height may be used and that the lowermold closing surface of the plate 48 will be of suflicient epth'from front to back, to'suit ribs of the greatest depth that may be used;

In using the arrangementshown in Figures 6 to 10 inclusive, the'plate 45! will be normally held in its raised position against the stop 44 when the first elevator 2 lowers a matrix line into casting position in front of the mold and until the mold has advanced toward the matrix line and vise jaws, so that the ribs 25 on the vise jaws may freely enter the front of the .mold cavity as shown in Fig. 9. The advance of the mold to casting position, also carries the forward projection 49 on the member 46 into a position above the plate 40 as shown in Figure .9, When the metal pot l advances preparatory to the injection of molten metal into the mold to cast the slug therein, the plunger 36 is forced downwardly, causing the forwardly offset extension 36 thereon to press downwardly on the member 46, and the forward projection 49 on this member will then act on the upper edge of the plate 48 to force this plate downwardly into engagement with the ribs 25 which then project into the front of the mold cavity, and while the member 40 is thus held in its lowered position, the metal pot operates as usual to inject metal into the mold to cast the slug therein. Since the ribs 25 on the vise jaws are of the same vertical height as that of the end liners in the mold and the lower edge of the plate 40 engages these ribs, a metal tight joint will be formed between the ribs and the plate 40.

In both embodiments, preferably the ribs projecting from the casting faces of the vise jaws extend continuously throughout the entire length of the jaws and the mold liners are of a front to rear depth to terminate short of the full front to rear depth of the mold slot to accord with the extent to which the ribs project from the faces of the jaws, so that the movement of the jaws, either one toward the other, will close them against matrix lines irrespective of their lengths and position such lines at different points along the front of the mold slot beyond the end or ends of the matrix line, and slugs of greater length than the actual length of the matrix lines will be cast with surfaces of a low quad height, the reduction in the height of which will be determined by the extent of projection of the ribs into the mold slot.

The relatively movable longitudinal mold walls provide means for freely moving the ribs on the vise jaws into engagement with the liners or end walls of reduced depth to thereby complete the depth of the mold at the level of the casting slot and form the front casting wall of the slot beyond a matrix line but at a desired level or depth back of the front face of the mold.

We claim as our invention:-

1. In a line casting machine, the combination of a slug casting mold having a casting slot defined by opposed longitudinal walls of a given depth at least a portion of one wall of which is movable relatively toward and from the opposed wall and end walls of less depth than the longitudinal walls, elements having portions adapted to project into the mold slot to reduce the depth thereof and to correspondingly reduce the depth of the mold beyond the end walls of the slot, and means for moving said movable portion of the wall of the mold against the projecting portions of said elements after they have been introduced between the walls of the mold and against the end walls thereof.

2. In a line casting machine, the combination of a slotted slug casting mold a portion at least of one wall of which is movable relatively toward and from the opposed wall, vise jaws for clamping matrix lines in front of the mold, said jaws having ribs located thereon adapted to project into the mold slot to reduce the depth thereof beyond the ends of the matrix line and correspondingly reduce the depth of the mold beyond the ends of the slot, and means for moving said portion of the mold wall into metal tight engagement with said ribs on the vise jaws after said ribs have been introduced into the mold slot and between the opposed walls thereof.

3. In a line casting machine. the combination of a longitudinally slotted slug casting mold, vise jaws for clamping matrix lines in front of the mold, said jaws having surfaces engageable with the front face of the mold and having ribs located thereon'adapted to project into the mold below the depth of the front face thereof and over the entire extent of said face beyond the ends of the mold slot to cast portions of reduced height on the slugs beyond the matrix lines, the front portion at least of one wall defining the mold slot being movable toward the opposite wall of the mold, and means for closing said portion of the mold against said ribs after they have been introduced into the mold.

4. In a line casting machine, the combination of a slotted slug casting mold comprising opposed relatively movable walls of a given depth defining the mold slot between them and having means for normally holding them relatively apart, matrix line clamping vise jaws having ribs located on their mold engaging faces to project between the movable mold walls over the full extent thereof to form a front casting wall at a depth below the mold face beyond the ends of the matrix line and the ends of the mold slot between the movable walls, and means for relatively closing said walls of the mold against the ribs on the vise jaws.

5. In a line casting machine, the combination of a slotted slug casting mold comprising opposed relatively movable members of a given depth and fixed spacing members between them of less depth, the opposed walls of said members defining the upper and lower walls and the end walls of the mold slot and having means for normally holding the movable member relatively apart, matrix line clamping jaws opposite to the face of the mold and having ribs projecting therefrom toward and in alinement with the mold slot and of the same height as the thickness of the spacing members, the mold and vise jaws being relatively movable toward one another to enter the ribs on the vise jaws between the upper and lower walls of the mold slot and against the spacing members, and means for relatively closing said movable members of the mold walls against the ribs on the vise jaws.

6. In a line casting machine, the combination of a slug casting mold having opposed upper and lower longitudinally disposed walls of a given depth and end walls of less depth, said walls defining a slot in which to cast the slug and at least a portion of one longitudinal wall being movable relatively toward and from the opposed wall, elements engageable with the front of the mold and having portions to project into the mold to reduce the depth of the mold at the level of the casting slot therein to an extent equal to the reduced depth of the end walls, and means for moving said movable wall portion of the mold against the projecting portions of said elements after they have been introduced between the longitudinal walls of the mold.

7. In a line casting machine, the combination of a slotted slug casting mold having opposed relatively movable upper and lower longitudinal walls of a given depth with means for normally holding them relatively apart, and end walls of less depth, said walls defining a casting slot open at the ends for a given depth below the front face of the mold, matrix line clamping vise jaws opposite the front of the mold having ribs projecting therefrom toward the mold, said vise jaws and mold being relatively movable toward one another to enter the ribs into the mold to thereby close the open ends of the casting slot and provide the front casting wall thereof beyond the ends of the matrix line, and means for relatively moving one of the longitudinal walls of the mold to clamp said wall against the end walls of the mold and the ribs on the jaws.

8. In a line casting machine, the combination of a slug casting mold having opposed relatively movable upper and lower longitudinal walls of a given depth and fixed end walls of less depth and means for normally holding at least a portion of one of the longitudinal walls spaced apart from the opposed wall and the end walls, the edges of said walls being flush at the back of the mold and the opposed faces thereof defining a casting slot open at the ends to the extent of the reduced depth of the end walls, matrix line clamping vise jaws having ribs located thereon to project into the mold slot to engage the front edges of the end walls'and thereby close and define the front casting wall of said slot beyond the matrix line between the jaws, and means for closing said portion of the longitudinal wall of the mold against the end walls and the ribs on the vise jaws after the latter have been introduced into the mold slot.

9. In a line casting machine, the combination of a slotted slug casting mold of a given depth comprising opposed relatively movable upper and lower walls with means for normally holding said walls relatively apart, and intermediate end walls of less depth than that of the mold, the edges of the upper and lower walls and end walls being flush at the back of the mold and the end Walls defining the height of the casting slot, matrix line clamping vise jaws each having a rib projecting therefrom toward the mold to an extent equal to the reduced depth of the end walls thereof, said vise jaws and mold being relatively movable toward one another to advance the ribs on the jaws into engagement with the end walls to thereby complete the depth of the mold at the level of the casting slot and beyond the matrix line, and means for relatively closing said longitudinal walls of the mold against the end walls and the ribs on the vise jaws.

10. In a line casting machine, the combination of a slug casting mold having a casting slot defined by opposed relatively movable upper and lower walls of a given depth and end walls of less depth but equal to the height of the casting slot, elements at the front of the mold having projections thereon adapted to complete the depth of the end walls of the mold, and means for rela- 5 tively closing the movable mold walls against the end walls and the projections on said elements after the latter have been introduced between said movable walls.

11. In a line casting machine, the combination of a slug casting mold having a casting slot normally defined by opposed longitudinal walls of different depths from the front to the back faces of the mold and end walls of less depth than the deeper of the longitudinal walls, a matrix line transporter carrying a part movable into cooperation with the mold to provide a castingslot with longitudinal walls of equal depth, and matrix line clamping vise jaws having ribs located thereon adapted to project into the front of the mold and engage the end walls to thereby reduce the depth of the mold slot to that of the end walls, and means for moving said part on the line transporter into engagement with the ribs on the vise jaws after said ribs have been introduced into the mold and against the end walls thereof.

12. In a line casting machine, the combination of a slug casting mold having a longitudinal casting slot normally defined by fixed opposed upper and lower walls of different depths from the front to the back faces of the mold and end walls constituted by intermediate spacing members of less depth than the deeper of the longitudinal walls,

a matrix line transporter carrying a part movable into cooperation with the mold to increase the depth of one longitudinal wall with respect to that of the opposed wall, and movable matrix line clamping vise jaws each having a continuous rib on its mold engaging face adapted to project into the front of the mold and overlie the deeper of the longitudinal walls to an extent permitted by the spacing members, and means for moving said part on the line transporter into engagement with the ribs on the vise jaws after said ribs have been introduced into the mold and against the spacing members.

HERMAN R. IEREUND. RANSOM HI TURNER. 

